The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-27
a rssrrr o1R1 arAos nr,r nun.
o.e sf the Flyers or the Grader Path Ae-
counts for hss leg Glory.

A party Of four sat at one of the small
tables In the Hoffman House cafe. The young
est looked as II he was about thirty years OF
age, the oldest about forty. The latter. as he
slipped q glass OF claret, said: How came
you to fall In love with your legs. Tom2 l re-
member you as a swift runner when we were
at school, but you didn't 60 in particularly for
athletic sports for years after you got rid OF the
s~choolmaster. and about the time you reached
your majority you were a bit OF a rounder."
Tom blushed at the recollection Of some OF
the foollshness Of his callow days. Come tell
us how you struck your gait" urged tho other,
You have won thirty odd races, l understand. I"
The others said, GO ahead, old boy" Tom
said the telling would occupy too much time,
and wasn't worth 1t, anyhow. His companions
promised to coll time II the story wasn't up
to the mark.
1T was the fault Of q very pretty girl" said
Tom, whereat one OF his companions inter-
rhpted the story with an order for another bot
tie OF wine. in honor OF the very pretty girl. he
said. Having toasted the very pretty girl. who
was infinitely described. by request. Tom once
more got on the scratch, and bent forward for
the word. When 1t was given he dashed away
at a en-second gait.
If you fellows were younger" was his first
heartless remark. II could give you some
points that would save you a lot OF trouble and
put money in your pockets. However, hero
stead .drifted. after q while, into a region that
devoted q great deal Of It's snare time to, ath-
q foot, races. either walking or a1g r%ann ii s"b But
generally. the latter. wasn't in tho sporting
line myself, but as everybody turned out to seq
turned out, too. A f6te% champ6tre was held in
q big park on the outskirts Of the town one
summer day In 1877. and 1t was attended by
Cn0 Society OF the DlHC0 IN q DOuy. Among
other amusements there was, a. milo
coSsesta AMONG Is these tSey %s xhS wrto tS res The
whom we toasted a few minutes ago; fhe ffei.
mortal, who got there BY main strength, but
as as. he crossed the line a winner, the very pretty
S Wasn sa lovely an and 'f | knew Ne it, .0f shSs was S q wirl h ni
might be joking. Hooked at her, and q glance
sense she didn't think he was lovely, and when
2 I'VE Was u P9;l N nntsstdi;GDnnt t to ! her after iha ne had J. donned
ni se' him. IN l and seen etpt To ha see lost 5stie al IL interest lssest
IN him.. Her, exclamation was caused by the
simple fact that he had proved to be the best
Now. II she hadn't been such an uncom-
monty nice girl a belle. In fact. would, proba-
toy S,y f bnt s fhsG Sad q n lot oi nam mG : aS Smon the w haa,
latest had a desire to get inside all the others.
looked down, upon ordinary mortals. They
had arranged for un athletic meeting six weeks
erHm 'h for os som 90 e Of the fs,e e s1a1sps at The Esy mot mo.
ment.. The idea was grasped and squeezed.
Ny 6in dainiseSs oecupied me from noon %
l. m sum. reli Sf a,!sF' every r0s @orn Tatn
after. the resolution tocompete, at the meeting;
snd / iV t9re along s t for four y !9 on tyo G @iIes. T FHea
went home and took 2 cold bath, For three
s or tSgs days sti HIts sosspt b | Ta aesSr, down nv stairs sdns
dition. But the stiffness wore of and l kept at
my work. / sometimes accompanied the afore-
which their training was done and sometimes,
shoes and entered The lists against them. My
al runner. who saw mo practising. one morning
and was good enough to say that might make
year afterward. in, a. private trial: Of showing
him my, back so plainly, and persistently that
he concluded then and there to retire from the
other fellow know what 1 could do, and to find
do. Bearing this in mind. it always happened
that during our trial races l never came in
first. and was. therefore, considered by the
other competitors u sure loser. l had man.
aged to feel them, however. and when the day
arrived I was excited. but confident.
sat in n carriage where she could see every
risssd fe oat i na great to s St. seen Ny A sni the cost So me x ys5;
il was Of nne blnck worsted, with ciaret color
border: thought 1t was the prize rig and 50
There were two trial heats and n final, and /
discpvered that could run Z first
second. Wien i toed the scratch. i felt as il 1
were strung on wires and must have acted like
u cat filled with electricity, TO save my neck I
to got the start. Something in front
sssmsa s 10 9s dfuF sea re at mo iss %9 enrs ws ths
wide open waiting for the, pistol shot. There
was II click and l was Off like a bullet.
heard a word. Well, We got on tho scratch
seconds passed. and no report. It Seemed
to me that an hour had expired since | got on
that scratch. ! turned, to soc what was tho mat
off went the pistol. For u moment l wns para
IyTed then wheeled around to find the other
believe lever ran so fast in my life, though the
watches have told q different story. The others
ran like a team: They were we'll matched, but
like a locomotive, and almost walked In a win
ner in eleven seconds; Considering. the bad
start and tho easy finish. it was looked upon as
2 fast heat. and in my case. an outsider OF the
darkest hue. simply astonishing.
The fast mar Of the country side won the
eventually win the race. That seemed to be
2 foregone conclusion in everybody's mind.
ocular mind there seemed to be. il not a doubt
of his success. a desire for his defeat. He wasn't
U raHEart IN. TACT, ne was Il very conn aniOn-
able fellow, and would have been n good fellow
ne had been willing to devote u portion OF
his time to work. But he wouldn't, and he was
only a lady,, man, yet with a taste for tho Gin
der. path. The exception noted was the very
pretty girl, After winning my heat i made
my WY to her carriage. and received not only
Boys was young and vigorous, in splendid
hat smile, piled, on top Of that wish, simply
1lled me with the determination to win that
raco or burst II blood ycssel.
Final heat Of tho 100 yards shouted tho
G. ! heard him get the call. Sounded TO
ne as if it were made bya man a mile on.
blood rushed to my head, and | could feel tho
PRESENTATION bursting, through the skin. Then
'hhanges we're Of the lightning order in reality;
ieal Of time. outwardly, ! afterwnrd discov-
,red, l seemed cool enough. Fortunately be-
Ore reached the scratch | was ali right and
the aui Wye for any and every chance 10 set
,9nenti He was smiling and debonair, and
lrhbi nfg when he saw it and felt he had It.
wasn't sure. but simply determined,